Your Call
by pokemon fan 98
Summary: After her fight with Amunet (episode 4x05), Caitlin wants to run, but knows she needs to go help her friends and face Amunet again. So she calls Julian, hoping talking to him will give her the motivation she needs. It gives him motivation too, to return to Central City. Snowbert. Amunet storyline continues (the promised "I'll ruin something for you" comment), but with Julian.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I love Julian's character, and I think this would have been a cool way to bring him back into the show. And of course that means Snowbert! This starts right when Iris, Felicity, and Cecile are leaving to face Amunet, and Caitlin decides to stay at the lab. Hope you like it!**

"I can't go with you. If I lose control, I could become a liability." She tightened her arms around herself. "I can't."

"It's okay." Iris said. "We've got this."

Caitlin watched them go. She knew she should go after them, but at the moment, she was just happy she wasn't running. When things became too much, she distanced herself. Logically, emotionally, and if that wasn't enough, physically. She was sore from the beating Amunet had given her, and ashamed that she'd introduced her friends to the meta's world. Now they were involved, and they didn't know how dangerous Amunet really was. If she'd just gone on the flight, like she'd planned, she'd be on her way to London right now, and they would still be safe…

London.

The thought gave her some peace, and she realized she needed to talk right now. She needed help to focus, and have the courage to help her friends.

She pulled out her phone and dialed the number.

* * *

The phone dragged him out of sleep with its blaring ringtone, and he cursed himself for keeping the volume up so high. He'd always done it, in case someone needed him during the night, but he didn't have anyone to help anymore. Now it was just stupid, stupid habit. And if it was some solicitor, he was going to be annoyed.

He blinked hard to force his eyes to focus on the screen, and for a second he believed he was still dreaming. It had happened before.

Then the call ended, the caller id vanishing, and he sat up as he realized it wasn't a dream. He held the phone, staring at it, unsure.

It started ringing again, and he answered it before the first jingle had finished. "Hello?" he asked.

"Julian, I'm so glad you picked up!"

He closed his eyes as he heard her voice again, for the first time in months. He had almost gotten it out of his head. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" he asked, defensively turning back into a jerk to keep himself distant.

"Yes, actually, I do, and I wouldn't have called but… I really need your help."

"I tried to help you, Caitlin. You walked away, and you didn't come back. So I left."

"I'm sorry, but that's why I'm calling. I got the others into trouble, and I don't know what to do. It's all my fault, and I can't reach the boys, and the girls are going to try to fix it on their own…"

He heard the fear in her voice and hardened himself, making himself not ask what was wrong even though he desperately wanted to. "Even if I did want to help, there's no way I can. Not from here."

She was silent for a few seconds. "You're right." She said, and the sense of defeat in her voice made him hate himself. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

And she hung up.

"Caitlin!"

He exhaled in frustration and threw the phone down. He was right to have been cold. There wasn't anything he could do, and he'd walked away from that team.

Yet he'd answered. You didn't answer a phone call in the middle of the night if you didn't care about the caller. It was Caitlin, for goodness sake.

The way her voice had sounded when she asked for help, timid and afraid… and the silence that had been worse, because he could imagine how her face had fallen as he shut her down… she really needed help.

"Caitlin, I don't know what to do for you." he said as he picked the phone back up. If he was there, he could find her, but the fact that he was so far away… He sighed and dialed the number, knowing he was risking getting hurt again, but finding that he didn't quite care. If she was in danger, it didn't matter if he got hurt. He had to see if he could help from here.

"Caitlin." He said when she answered. "Listen, I'm sorry. Please, tell me what's going on."

* * *

She told him everything.

How she'd gone to Amunet for the device to help her keep control, and agreed to work for the meta in exchange. How the device wasn't working, and she kept losing it whenever she was scared or in danger. She told him how powerful Amunet was, and about their fight earlier that night.

She touched her arm where she'd stitched herself up from Amunet's attack, and knew what she had to do. Though she desperately wanted to hide instead. From Amunet, and the team. Herself.

"I have to go after them. There's no way they can beat Amunet."

"You can do this, Caitlin. I believe in you."

It gave her the courage she needed. But before she hung up she closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment of weakness, voicing the fear that was always on her mind while the one person who really understood was listening. "I've been slipping more, becoming her more easily and struggling to come back. What if Frost puts them in danger? What if I can't come back to myself?"

He was quiet for a few seconds. "Then I'll bring you back."

Her eyes opened. That hadn't been what she expected at all. "What?"

" _If_ you lose yourself like you did before, I'll be there to bring you back. But you won't. You're too strong to be that lost again."

She stared straight ahead, her thoughts both drifting and racing.

"Caitlin?"

"I've got to go, before they get into trouble." She said. Her voice shifted. "Thank you."

She marked down the location the girls had gone to and left the lab, grabbing Frost's – her – jacket as she did. She would try to save them as Caitlin first, though she was expecting Amunet to fight. But she wasn't as scared anymore. Julian had said he would come for her, if she got lost.

The only slightly scary part was when she did become Frost again, once she faced Amunet. What scared her was the forcefulness of the transition. As if Frost had known she was in danger, she had forced Caitlin back in an instant, taking over with a scream.

Frost created the dome to keep them safe and then sent it out in a burst. Once the magnet was on and Amunet couldn't use her powers, Frost made an icicle and walked towards her.

"Not so tough without your powers." She said, raising the icicle and preparing to strike.

"Caitlin, stop!" Iris said.

"I'm not Caitlin. And this is the only way I can be free of her."

"It's just the opposite. If you kill her, you'll be a killer for the rest of your life. You don't have to be just Caitlin or Killer Frost. You get to choose who you are."

Frost knew that when she was awake, Caitlin was essentially asleep, but she sensed her more once Iris said this, as if Caitlin were fully alert. She knew that Caitlin didn't want to kill anyone.

Part of Frost knew that by letting Amunet walk away, she was putting them all in danger again. She knew the meta was serious when she did business, and Amunet was not happy to lose business. Or to lose at all. Killing her seemed like the safest bet.

But she had to admit to herself that she was sort of like Caitlin. She didn't really want to go through with it, for all her talk. She would kill her without concern if she had to, but otherwise…

She wouldn't mind repaying Amunet for the beating she'd gotten earlier, but she knew she would have another chance.

She dropped the icicle and told Amunet to get out of there.

"You've ruined this for me," Amunet said as she walked away, "and I'm going to ruin something special for you."

Frost watched her disappear, calm on the outside. Inside was a different story. Caitlin was pushing for control now, and Frost knew why. She was scared for Julian.

If he was open to coming back, like he'd said, Amunet would be able to use him to hurt her. It wouldn't hurt Frost. She had no attachment to the scientist, though if she were being honest, she had no real attachment to anyone Caitlin did. Not before tonight, at least, when Iris started reaching out.

No, if Amunet targeted Julian, it was Caitlin who would suffer. Frost had made her walk away from him once, but Caitlin cared for him.

She made Caitlin wait until she'd seen Team Flash to take control. It was time they knew the truth of the situation. Once the team had seen that Frost could willingly let Caitlin take control, Frost let it happen.

Caitlin usually didn't remember much of what happened when Frost took over, but she knew everything that had happened when fighting Amunet. Especially the meta's warning about ruining something important to her. She was slightly paranoid that Amunet would know she had booked a flight to London, and find out her connection to Julian. If they started to get close again, Amunet would find out.

So once she was alone again, after saying goodnight to Iris in the parking lot, she sat in her car and dialed the phone. He answered immediately.

"Caitlin? Are you alright?"

"I'm okay, Julian. Everyone's safe."

She heard the relief in his voice when he chuckled. "That's fantastic news."

"I just wanted to thank you, for helping me before. I don't know if I would've been able to go if I hadn't talked to you."

"Of course you would have gone. I know you."

She smiled thinly, her emotions mixed. "Yes, you do."

He hesitated. "Is there something wrong?"

Amunet's threat echoed in her mind, and she closed her eyes to try to force it away. "No," she lied. "I'm just drained. It's been a tough day."

"Right, of course. I should let you get home and sleep." He hesitated again. "Should I call again, later?"

 _Yes,_ she wanted to say. _I miss you._

"Goodnight, Julian." She said, and hung up the phone quickly.

Caitlin sat in the parking lot for a few minutes after that call, her hands stiff on the steering wheel. It had to be done. If Amunet knew how much he meant to her, he would be in danger.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered, knowing he was probably feeling hurt all over again at the abrupt dismissal. Maybe she would drive him away for good this time.

It was the last thing she wanted, but his life was more important than her feelings. Until Amunet was taken care of, she couldn't contact him. She probably shouldn't have called him at all.

* * *

When Caitlin hung up on him, Julian didn't know what to think. Had he just been used and then tossed aside? Was there something wrong that she just wasn't telling him? And if there was, was there any way he could help her through it?

He'd felt more, in the last few hours, than he had in months, just because he'd talked with her. And from the tightness in her voice in that last call, he felt worry. She was keeping something from him, he was sure of it. Trying to push him away.

It had worked last time. He'd left. But here they were, six months later, and she had reached out to him. That had to mean that she needed him, in some way wanted him around. Even if she wanted to pretend she didn't, for whatever reason.

He opened his laptop and bought a plane ticket to the US.

She had called him, after all.

He was answering.


	2. Chapter 2

He planned on surprising her. He figured that if he only packed a small suitcase, he could act like he was going somewhere else if he wasn't welcome. Or, what he was actually hoping, he would be welcomed back to stay for a while.

He waited a day after arriving in Central City, to catch up on sleep and mentally prepare himself for whatever reaction was coming.

He walked into S.T.A.R. Lab the following morning with a brisk pace, determined to actually see Team Flash again. He'd been fighting himself on whether or not to go to the lab since his plane landed the day before, the alternative being going to see Caitlin alone. But he needed to see them all. Caitlin was his reason for coming back, but he did kind of miss the team.

He felt a rush of nostalgia as he walked out of the elevator and into the cortex. "Hello?" he called. "Anyone here?"

They were gathered in the cortex, passing around coffee. At his voice they turned, and he held up a hand. "Cheers, mates."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Cisco asked.

Julian gauged their reactions. They didn't seem upset. At least, their most prevalent facial expressions were shock. That was expected. He glanced at Caitlin and saw that she was surprised as well, but concern flooded him when he also saw the expression in her eyes, a second before she managed to hide it: fear. In the next second it was gone, and she was just surprised again.

"I thought I'd check in," he said. "Is it a bad time?"

They recovered themselves for the most part. "Nah, we don't have anything going on yet," Barry said.

"Glad to see you're back," Julian said, shaking his hand. "Glad to see all of you, actually."

"I thought you went back to London," Iris questioned.

"I did. I fancied a trip to the states again, and I'm afraid this city constitutes most of my experience here."

He glanced at Caitlin again, trying to see beyond the expression she wore. But she was in full control again, as good as ever at guarding her emotions apparently. Her appearance was as it had been the first time he'd seen her. Curly brown hair, warm brown eyes. She looked like Caitlin again. Yet he knew Frost was there too, and wondered just how close to the surface she was. She wouldn't have called otherwise.

He also knew that he'd been lying to himself in believing he was getting over her. Just seeing her in the room had proven that he was as much in love with her now as he had been then. He just wasn't sure how her feelings had fared over the past months, whether they had diminished or strengthened or, perhaps, never really been very strong at all. But he couldn't believe that.

"Well you're always welcome here," Barry said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

The direct statement shocked him, making Julian look back at Barry. He nodded in appreciation.

"So what has everyone been up to?" Julian asked.

"Life," Cisco said.

"I've got work to do," Caitlin said, turning and walking out.

"I'll help," Cisco followed her.

"Ouch," Harry muttered.

Julian looked after them. "That was the reaction I was afraid of." It was, though he hadn't expected Cisco to be negative. Indifferent, but not passive aggressive. "I know I left things rather abruptly."

"Yeah, you did," Harry said. Unlike Cisco, Harry's tone held no aggression. He was stating a fact in the Harry tone Julian had only a little experience with, but had been told fondly of by Caitlin.

"I'll talk to them," Iris said.

"No, let me." Julian walked through the door, into the section of the lab where Caitlin and Cisco lived most often. They had been talking as he approached, but when they saw him they stopped.

"What do you want?" Cisco asked.

"To make sure I haven't upset you, because that's the last thing I want to do."

"Why did you come back?" Cisco asked.

His eyes flicked to Caitlin unintentionally. "I realized what I was missing, and that walking out was a mistake."

"You can't join the team, abandon it, and then expect to be welcomed back like nothing happened," Cisco said.

"Cisco," Caitlin urged gently.

Julian couldn't say anything. He understood why Cisco was irked now, at least. They weren't that close, but he had become a regular part of the team, and suddenly walking out had helped rip that team apart. Especially when paired with the fact that Caitlin and Barry had left so soon before.

Cisco reluctantly looked at Caitlin, and then sighed. "Alright." He half-glared at Julian. "I get why you left. But you're still an asshole."

"Definitely," Julian agreed. That was one thing he knew no one would disagree with.

Cisco grumbled something and walked back towards the cortex, and Julian looked at Caitlin. She was looking very pointedly at anywhere that wasn't him. "Bit of a rough reunion," he tried to joke.

"Why did you come back?" she asked quietly.

He stepped closer. "You gave me a wake-up call, Caitlin. Quite literally, I might add," He said with a trace of a smile. "And you sounded like you could use some help."

"Everything's fine," she said, finally glancing at him. Her voice was clipped.

He lowered his voice. "Look, I know you might not want to talk anything over here in the lab -."

"I don't want to talk at all," she said, and he imagined he could see her walls coming up to protect her as her voice hardened. It was very convincing, and took a lot of his willpower to not give up on talking to her.

He knew he had to give her more time. His voice was stuck in his throat. "Well I'm here for a while, if you change your mind," he managed. Then he walked back into the cortex, to see the others.


	3. Chapter 3

He was back.

He'd come, like she'd feared he might, because she'd called him for help. And now she hated herself for that moment of weakness. Why had she called in the first place? Why had she thought of going to London to run away?

Because he was a friend, she told herself. Someone she trusted, and at the very least cared for. She wasn't quite sure of the parameters of her feelings toward Julian Albert, but she knew there was attraction there. And he had become important to her very quickly. With Caitlin, that didn't happen very often.

He had been there for her in one of the scariest periods of her life, when she wasn't sure of her identity and was too scared to rely on her team. And he'd understood what she was going through in a way she knew the others never really could, because he'd been through something similar. He had fought for her at every turn.

That was why he was back. She'd given him another opening to fight for her. And as much as she liked the thought of him being in the lab again with her, being part of the team, Amunet's threat kept repeating itself in her mind. _I'm going to ruin something for you._

She had to try to drive him away, before anything happened.

Unfortunately, he was as stubborn as he'd always been, and he really did slip right back into being a part of the team. He helped them that day he arrived, and then asked if he could consult on their cases. And from there, he unofficially rejoined Team Flash.

She couldn't give him the cold shoulder when he was always in the lab, just a room away. Or when they all went to get drinks or dinner. It was too difficult, and frankly, she didn't want to. She saw the flash of hurt when she dismissed him and tried to keep herself distant. She hated it.

So she stopped trying to avoid him, and pushed her fears to the back of her mind. They were just friends, anyway. She wasn't worried about her other friends on the team. Why should she worry about Julian?

Once she allowed herself to open up, the change was incredible. She was able to talk to him like they used to, pondering medical questions cases brought up, making terribly dry jokes that nonetheless made each other laugh. Cisco playfully picked on him and Julian dished it right back. It felt normal again.

And when Frost came out, when she assisted on missions, Caitlin wasn't scared for him. Iris's words that night a few weeks before, that she didn't have to be one or the other all the time, had really seemed to help. Caitlin knew she wouldn't hurt Julian, even when Frost was in control. And Julian was fascinated by the control she had.

"The cure didn't restore your DNA to what it was before you fully mutated. It balanced it," he said, one day just before nightfall. He had been studying two samples: one from Caitlin, one from Frost. "It's your code in both cases, yet it's also strikingly different."

"I can't even explain it, Julian, and I've been trying to for weeks. But as long as everything stays the same, I'm okay with that." She smiled. "I'm starting to be okay with not having a solution to everything."

"How about a solution for two people who could go for a meal? Any ideas?"

She exhaled a tiny laugh. "There are lots of solutions to that issue."

"How about one where the people go to the meal together, right now?" he pressed, looking at her with his eyebrows slightly lifted, eyes widened and vulnerable.

She bit the inside of her lip for a second. This was what she'd told herself she should avoid, because this could lead into something more than friendship. But she was feeling so good at the moment that she didn't even have the heart to consider saying no. "Dinner would be great," She said.

The smile that split his features let her know she'd done the right thing. She found that she really wanted to go out with him, without any team members around. Maybe not a date, but a something.

Something to be excited for, like she hadn't been in some time.

Her fears completely left her mind as they walked to her car and headed to dinner together. She hadn't heard or seen any trace of Amunet since their last fight. For all she knew the meta could be dead, or far away causing trouble for other people. She didn't care. She couldn't live constantly looking over her shoulder. She wanted to have fun, and that night, she wanted to go out with Julian Albert. So she did.

And she didn't regret it.


	4. Chapter 4

He plucked up the courage and asked her to dinner, and to his immense relief, she said yes.

His days had been improving slowly since helping out the team, and once Caitlin had stopped closing herself off, his days had become fantastic. Now they had gone on a date, and he worried he looked like a blushing idiot as he said goodnight to her, he was so happy.

He'd been a fool to run back to London when things got tough. He was just thankful he'd had the courage to come back to S.T.A.R. Labs.

"I had a wonderful time tonight," he said to her.

Caitlin looked at him with warm brown eyes. "Me too, Julian."

He wanted to kiss her goodnight, but simply nodded at her and walked over to his car, calling to her that he would see her in the morning. He had to take it slow, make sure not to rush her.

They pulled out of the parking lot at the same time and he drove to the apartment he was renting, across town from her. He got out of his car with a skip in his step as he made his way to his room. He couldn't wait to see her in the morning.

* * *

He was waiting for her with a coffee in hand when she got to the lab, a pack over his shoulder.

"Where are the others?" she asked, accepting the offered coffee with an appreciative nod.

"At a crime scene. Well, half of them are. I haven't seen the other half yet."

She sipped her coffee, and he was about to ask how the rest of her night had been when her phone started ringing. She pulled it out and looked at the screen, narrowing her eyes when she saw the caller id. "It's Iris," she said. She accepted the call. "Hello?"

Julian watched her face carefully as she listened to the phone. He was pretty sure Iris and Caitlin weren't horribly close, and gathered that this wasn't something that usually happened.

Caitlin was silent for almost thirty seconds before she showed any sign of unease. Her gaze seemed to stiffen at whatever Iris was saying, all traces of positivity fading away. "Are you sure?" she asked. She listened for a few more seconds and then hung up, walking swiftly over to the cortex.

"What was that about?"

She sat at the computer and started opening files. "There might be a connection between this case and another one."

He slid his bag to the ground. "Another bus meta?"

She took a deep breath of air, and though her voice sounded normal when she spoke, he could sense the stress underneath the front. "Probably, but that's not the connection I'm looking for. Iris thinks it might be more… personal."

"Well tell me about it, and I can help you figure -."

"No!" she said quickly, turning to look at him. For a second he saw a glimpse of blue in her eyes. "I can do it on my own. Barry could probably use your help analyzing this new meta's abilities." She looked down at the console. "There's a chance this isn't what Iris thinks, so let me make sure and not waste your time."

He mumbled an agreement and went to his station to wait for the others, the new meta the farthest thing from his mind. What had Iris said to make Caitlin so upset?

He sat for a few minutes, puzzling it over, before he jumped up and walked out the door. Caitlin was so focused on whatever she was doing that she didn't even notice. He grabbed his phone as the elevator door slid closed. "Allen? Yeah, I'm coming to your scene. Is everything still there?"

* * *

Caitlin took a deep breath to try to calm herself, but it wasn't working well. She'd been so stupid, thinking they were safe! Iris had called to tell her there was a piece of metal at the crime scene, deeply embedded in the foundation of a building. A piece of metal that looked just like the kind Amunet carried around with her. And then there was the fact that there was no trace of the meta themselves. Just a crime scene, and a few blood spots on the ground.

Caitlin opened the picture Iris emailed her and ran to the evidence locker to grab the shard from when Amunet had beaten her. Racing back to the computer, Caitlin held the shard up to the image on the screen, comparing them.

She swallowed heavily, closing her eyes for a second as she confirmed what she had known would be true. Amunet was back.

With a slight shake of her head she went back to her desk, planning to fill Julian in, but he wasn't back there. Panicky feeling rising, she looked everywhere he might plausibly be, finally snatching up her phone and calling him. He had to have gone to the crime scene, though she didn't know why. It didn't matter.

She ran out of the lab, pulling up the meta human alert Cisco had put on all their phones and letting it show her where to drive to.

It was a rundown area, the cars parked at odd angles in front of it the only thing drawing attention to it. Caitlin forced herself to walk instead of run as she got out of the car and walked up to the others.

"Caitlin!" Iris said when she got close. "What are you doing here?"

Caitlin looked at everyone there and sighed when she saw Julian's blond head over next to Barry and Cisco, looking at the other end of the alley. "I wanted to see the scene for myself," Caitlin said, trying to cover up the emotions she feared were written plainly on her face.

The boys were looking over at them as they started walking back. "I grabbed the piece," Iris said, holding out the bagged evidence. Caitlin didn't take it, just looked at it. "She's back, isn't she?"

Caitlin nodded. The boys reached them and Barry looked at Iris. "What's that?" he asked.

Caitlin met Iris's eye and nodded slightly. "Proof that Blacksmith is involved in our meta case."

"Blacksmith?" Cisco asked. "As in the underground empire meta?"

"She collects metas she thinks she can make a profit with," Caitlin said.

"But usually there's no trace of them," Barry said. "That's why she hasn't been caught. Why would she leave evidence behind?"

"Maybe she was in a rush," Julian said.

Caitlin shook her head. "Amunet left this on purpose."

"Why?" Julian asked.

Caitlin stared at the bit of metal, feeling her heartrate increase. "To let me know she's still the boss."

 **A/N: Hey guys! The story is starting to pick up! I had to lay some groundwork the last two chapters, but now we're really getting into it. Next chapter is even more fun. I hope you like it. Leave me a review to tell me what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

Julian kept an eye on Caitlin through the rest of that day. She was far too quiet, honestly had been since Iris had called earlier that morning. He knew she was trying to pretend she was fine, but she clearly wasn't. He and Cisco spent hours looking through records with her, analyzing the metal fragment and trying to understand what Amunet's goal was.

After analyzing the same document four times, Cisco threw it forcefully onto his desk. "There's nothing here."

Julian shut his laptop and leaned back in his chair. "I doubt we'll get anything useful from files."

"There has to be something," Caitlin said. She didn't look away from her computer.

Julian looked at Cisco and saw the concern in his expression as well. "We should get a drink," Cisco said. "On me."

"You go," Caitlin said.

"Caitlin -." Julian started.

"I'm the one who got us into this," she said firmly.

"Oh, you're the one who told Amunet to make a meta empire and kidnap people?" Cisco asked rhetorically. "Julian, case solved."

"It's not funny!" Caitlin snapped, jumping up and slamming her hands onto her desk. "Amunet will kill anyone who tries to stop her!"

Julian stared at her, frozen, taking in how ragged her breathing had become. And how unsteady her eyes were, flickering brown and blue like a northern lights display.

"I know she's dangerous," Cisco said, raising his hands in an apologetic manner. "I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, relaxing her grip on the desk. When she opened her eyes, they were brown.

"Maybe going out for a drink is the best thing we can do right now," Julian said. "Give our brains a little time to go over everything we have so far without overtaxing them."

He waited for a few seconds, half sure she would say no. "Okay," she said in a quieter voice. Cisco smiled and went to get his coat. Julian walked over to Caitlin and hesitantly put a hand over hers.

"None of this is your fault," he said softly. "You broke with her when you rejoined Team Flash. She would have gone for this meta anyway."

"Probably," she said. "But if anyone gets hurt going after her? That's on me. I let her walk away."

She moved to retrieve her own jacket, and Julian closed up her computer. "I'll drive, alright?" he said. She wasn't in the most stable mindset at the moment. Even she knew she was struggling with controlling her emotions, because she didn't put up a fight, following him to his car. Cisco rode in the back, Julian the designated driver. The least he could do was let them not have to worry about driving home.

He contented himself with sipping at a beer. The other two had a few shots, and after an hour or so, the tension was definitely gone. They weren't drunk, but relaxed definitely qualified, and the warm bar atmosphere distracted them from the case. Julian rather enjoyed seeing them have some fun. Yes, he'd gone out with the team a few times since returning, but usually they all had a beer and then went home. This was an extended stay, with an intent to forget their worries for a little while. And it seemed to be working.

"I'll pick you up in the morning," he told them as they left the bar, sometime later. They had all quieted as soon as they walked to the car, the lightheartedness fading. "Cisco, that alright?"

"I get shotgun," Cisco declared from the backseat, in a somewhat resigned tone. Julian took that as a yes and drove Cisco to his place, watching him move through the door before driving the car to Caitlin's apartment.

She was staring out the window as they drove. She'd been quiet since leaving the bar, letting Cisco and Julian talk as Cisco had been driven home. Julian wondered if she was just tired.

"Can I walk you up?" he asked when he reached the building. He didn't want to press, but he wanted to see her safely to her door. She looked at him and nodded, and they got out of the car. He expected to simply walk next to her, but was pleasantly surprised when she reached for his hand.

"Thank you," she said, looking forward.

He smiled lightly, keeping his hand in hers as they walked to her door. "Do you want to come in for a few minutes?" she asked.

He could see how much she had considered this question before asking, and knew she was battling herself over shutting everyone out or letting him help. That was always her battle when work overlapped with personal life. He was glad to see that she wanted him to be involved. "I'd like that very much," he said, following her in.

She flipped the light switch as he closed the door behind him, and he almost ran into her when he tried to walk in further. She had stopped just a few steps in, her posture stiff. Before he could ask what was wrong she was striding over to her table, laying her bag down and picking something up.

He walked over and saw a small fragment of metal in Caitlin's grip. There was a scrap of paper on the counter as well, which he guessed had been weighed down by the metal piece. The paper read: _thinking of you._

He looked at Caitlin and saw that the hand holding the metal was shaking slightly, her mouth pressed tight as she stared at the note. He started to reach a hand out to her, to make her drop the metal. That was when her eyes completely shifted to blue. There was no wavering, as there had been in the lab. It was a complete change brought on by a sudden rush of fear, anger, or both. In a matter of seconds her appearance was that of Killer Frost, pale blue eyes and whitened hair. He saw the flicker of confusion in her eyes that always accompanied the transformation, as she took stock of the situation in an instant. When she read the note her lip started to curl.

"Amunet's playing a dangerous game," Frost said, apparently to herself. She noticed Julian staring at her and seemed annoyed. "Of course you're here too. Now Caitlin's going to be even more panicked than usual." She picked up her purse and turned. "Lock the door on your way out if you leave," she told him.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To find Amunet and end this, once and for all."

Julian jumped in front of her. "You don't mean you plan on killing her?"

She looked at him for a second, contemptuously. "That's exactly what I'm doing." She stepped around him, reaching for the door handle.

"Caitlin, stop!" he cried, catching at her wrist and holding it tight. She turned with a dangerous look in her eyes, but he kept his grip firm. "She wanted you to rush after her, don't you see? She meant to provoke you, so you'd go after her without a plan and she can get to you!" he looked at her straight on, trying to connect to those blue eyes the way he could with the brown ones. "You have to calm down and let the team help figure out how to stop her."

She looked at him, considering what he was saying. He could see that her desire to force him to release his grip and go find Amunet was still strong, but there was a small shift in her expression, and he knew she recognized the danger in that course of action. Frost was impulsive, but still smart.

"We will capture her," Julian promised, maintaining eye contact. "But not like this."

She sighed and looked over his shoulder, some of the fury fading from her eyes. "Fine. You'd probably just call the others to go after me anyway, and then I'd have to worry about finding Amunet _and_ protecting them." She twisted her hand free, forcefully but not as roughly as she could have. "See you soon, lover boy," she said.

The transition back to Caitlin was a bit slower, color returning to her cheeks as her hair and eyes darkened. She blinked as she mentally came back to herself and looked from Julian to the metal, still gripped tightly in one hand.

"She was here," Caitlin said, processing now that the initial reaction was over. "She was in my apartment."

"She's not here now," Julian reasoned.

Caitlin moved her head side to side. "No, because she doesn't want to kill me." She looked at Julian with a trace of desperation, and his heart clenched at the mess of emotions she had to be feeling. She seemed so overwhelmed, and at the moment, scared. "She wants to make me lose something, because I ruined that deal. She wants me to know she can get to me, and whatever I care about!"

"Caitlin, I won't let anything happen," he tried to soothe, but she shook her head more forcefully, actually taking a step back.

"No, you have to leave," she cried. "It's not safe for you to stay here, not while she's out there. She would go after you to hurt me, and I couldn't live with it if she -."

He closed the distance between them with a single step and kissed her. She tried to push him away for a few short seconds before moving into it, dropping the metal piece and reaching up and cupping his cheeks and neck as their lips fully connected. There was a desperation in the kiss, fueling it, but there was also a wild joy, simply from how right it felt, and Julian abandoned himself to it for a few precious seconds.

They separated enough to breathe, and he put a hand in her hair. "That's why you tried to push me away," he said.

She nodded.

He understood now. The brush-offs, the distance, that flash of fear when she'd first seen him again. She was worried about Amunet taking revenge. He must have just taken her mind off the threat the last few weeks, but with this grave reminder her fears had all come rushing back.

He kissed her again, softer, to let her know he understood; he loved her even more for trying to protect him.

"Julian," she said seriously.

"I know what you're going to say," he said. "You gave me the warning to be afraid once before, remember?"

"Yes. You didn't listen."

"There you have it. I didn't leave then, and I'm not going to now."

She smiled weakly at his stubbornness, and he smiled in return. "You said we would be afraid together," she reminded him, a final attempt to make him see sense and leave.

He wasn't backing down, and looked at her as openly as possible. "This is worth being a little afraid."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I really missed you," she murmured.

He breathed her in as he held her comfortingly. "I know."

He felt her chuckle at the feigned self-arrogance and held her a little tighter, unbelievably happy to hold her in his arms.

 **A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews! They really motivate me, so keep it up! I was very excited about this chapter (my Snowbert feels), and hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Till next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

They kind of forgot Cisco the next morning.

Caitlin remembered just as they were pulling into the lab, and when they returned a few minutes later, Cisco sat in the backseat with his arms crossed irritably in front of him.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow, yeah?" he grumbled in an awful accent. "Don't even get shotgun. I clearly called it."

Caitlin turned around and smiled at him. "I got to the car first."

"Why did you pick her up first?" Cisco asked.

Caitlin turned to unfasten her seatbelt and open the door, avoiding answering. Apparently she moved too quickly, because when she looked at Cisco outside, he was grinning impishly. "You spent the night together," he said, full of confidence again. He studied Caitlin's face and nodded, finding some sort of evidence there. "I so called it!"

"Considering you can vibe us, is that really a wonder?" Julian quipped.

Caitlin stifled her laugh at Cisco's face. "I don't always have to use the powers to know."

"And nothing happened," Caitlin said. "We just fell asleep."

Cisco looked between them as they rode the elevator. "Seriously?"

Julian raised one eyebrow, like _what else can I say?_ "I'm a gentleman, remember?"

Cisco walked past them as soon as the elevator door opened, muttering something about Julian that Caitlin was sure wasn't agreeing with the gentleman quote. Caitlin met Julian's amused expression as they moved to follow. It was incredible how different she felt walking in this morning than she had for most of the day yesterday. Here she was smiling, even knowing Amunet was a real and present danger.

The team was gathered in the cortex, as usual. Harry was just walking into a back room. "Morning," Caitlin said.

"So you forgot Cisco…" Barry said, looking at her with a knowing smirk. Iris was smiling at her.

"Well that lasted all of two minutes." Julian cast a look at Cisco, who was watching the exchange gleefully behind a coffee mug.

"And here I was worried you wouldn't leave the lab," Barry said. "I'm glad you did."

Caitlin glanced at Julian, smiling lightly. "Me too."

"As thrilling as I'm sure this conversation is, shouldn't we be looking for a way to capture Amunet?" Harry asked as he walked back into the room, deftly taking Cisco's fresh mug of coffee from him. He took a sip and set it down distastefully, looking back at Cisco. "You should not be allowed to drink coffee like that."

Cisco's expression changed from affronted to offended, and Caitlin stepped in before they could begin their own thrilling interaction – and to make sure they didn't throw markers at each other. "Amunet is a master at staying hidden," she said. "The best way to find her is to draw her out with a deal she can't risk missing."

"Like what?" Iris asked. "It's not like we have a new meta to pull out as bait."

"We use an old one," Barry said. "Me."

Caitlin considered it for a second before shaking her head. "Sorry Barry, that's not an option. We'll need you to run in and stop her once she's distracted."

"Whatever we do, we need to do it as quickly as possible, so we don't get a repeat of last -." Caitlin widened her eyes and shook her head at him, making Julian trail off, but she knew it was too late. She could feel the others all looking at them with concern.

"What happened last night?" Barry asked.

Caitlin pressed her lips together. Julian looked at her with an apology in his eyes, waiting for her to take lead. She sighed. "It's not a big deal. Amunet just left me a message."

"How?" Cisco asked.

"She left a note in my apartment. But it's not -."

"Don't say it's not a big deal," Barry interrupted, stepping closer. "What was the message?"

"'Thinking of you,'" Caitlin said, slightly quieter. "She doesn't want to hurt me, though."

"We don't know that," Barry insisted. "You're not going back to your apartment tonight. Not until we capture her."

"She's known where I live for weeks," Caitlin protested. "but last night was the first time she broke in. Why would she wait so long if she just wanted me?"

"It doesn't matter, it's too dangerous for you to stay there," Barry said. He looked at the others again, and Caitlin realized that they had all made a little space around her and Barry as this exchange had gone on. "Any ideas?" Barry asked, forcing them back into the conversation.

"I might have one," Cisco said hesitantly. "But you're not gonna like it."

* * *

"Cisco was right," Caitlin muttered as she slipped on her jacket. "I hate this plan."

"I'm not too fond of it either, but it does stand a chance," Julian reminded her. "Besides, we don't have any other ideas."

"We don't know Ralph well enough to put him in this much danger."

Ralph Dibney had stayed with Team Flash for a few days after discovering his powers, before deciding he needed some time to adjust to his new life. He hadn't really contacted anyone since then, though he had asked Caitlin and Cisco some powers questions recently. He had hinted heavily that he wanted a real suit, instead of the pale blue fabric. Cisco took this as a sign that, maybe, Ralph wanted to join the team. He and Barry both thought Ralph had just wanted to fully learn how to use his powers before fighting crime with them, so he wouldn't be the obvious newbie. Caitlin wasn't so sure, but she definitely felt bad putting him at risk tonight. "He went out with Barry once or twice," she fretted. "He can't defend himself against Amunet."

"He seems like a good person, Caitlin, and he wants to help." Julian looked her straight on. "Besides, you, Cisco, and Allen are all in close range, ready to swoop in as soon as Amunet shows up."

Caitlin nodded but couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't going to work. Cisco and Harry had spread whispers of an elastic meta in Central City, through both word of mouth and a computer trail, dating the entries back a week or two. Ralph was currently inside his car, waiting for his signal.

"You sure you don't want me to do any fighting?" Ralph asked over the comms.

"Just act like a kid on the playground," Cisco responded, up on the roof. "It shouldn't be that hard for you."

"Is Cisco hard on every new person?" Julian asked Caitlin.

"Only the ones who fit in." She half-smiled. "You could say it's his way of testing them, like a teacher does on the first day of class. If you stay, the next time they're nicer."

"What about Harry?"

She thought about it for a second. "You know how when two people are so similar, they either hate each other or love each other?"

"Yes."

"Cisco and Harry are very similar in a lot of ways, but their personalities don't always mesh well. It's a constant flux. Occasionally, something pushes one of them over the edge and they argue. But for the most part they're normal friends who joke a lot."

Julian had a sentimental little smile on his face, and Caitlin faltered. "What?"

"It's just obvious how much you care for them."

She looked down as she pulled her jacket down by the edges. "Yeah, well that's why I don't like this. Amunet will use whatever advantage she can. Even if she does show up, we don't know if she'll be alone. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"They won't."

"You can't know that," she protested.

"No," he said, "but I believe it. We're being about as careful as we can."

She sighed, actually feeling a little better. "You're right."

They heard Barry give the go signal, and Caitlin tensed, her eyes scouring the surrounding street and buildings for signs of Amunet. Ralph started messing around, extending his torso and swinging from a lamppost, making his legs longer and bounding the length of the street in seconds.

"He's good at playing the kid," Julian noted.

"Aren't all boys?" Caitlin sniped quickly. Then she went back to looking everywhere someone could possibly appear, ready (she believed) to turn into Frost and confront Amunet should she come.

It was a solid half an hour before Iris spoke over the comms. There was no sign of anyone coming in their direction, no meta activity picked up by their scanning.

"Can I stop?" Ralph panted.

"Yeah," Barry said, sounding somewhat defeated.

Caitlin let her arms fall to her sides as she straightened and turned to look at Julian. "No one got hurt," she said.

"We'll get her next time," Julian said bracingly.

She nodded mutely as they walked to meet the others in the street. Cisco made a portal from the rooftop, reaching Barry and Ralph just as Caitlin and Julian did. "That was a bust," he said. "But if we try it again, Harry and I can put up footage and really try to get her attention."

"We'll reassess in the morning," Barry said. "For now, everyone should just sleep on it." He turned to look at Caitlin. "Do you need a place to go?"

"She can come with me," Julian said boldly. He glanced at her. "That is, if you want to."

"Thank you," she said with a light smile.

"So I'll see you guys tomorrow?" Ralph asked. "You still need me, right?"

"We could always use an extra hand," Barry said. He nodded at them and sped off, back to Star Lab. Cisco breached himself back to his car, and Caitlin and Julian walked one way to theirs, Ralph the other to his.

"I didn't mean to speak for you, just now," Julian said as they walked.

"I didn't mind. I kind of assumed we would stay together," she admitted, feeling her cheeks warm up. She saw a little lightness in his step after saying this, and felt her mood improve, if only slightly.

They went back to his car and drove in a comfortable silence to his apartment. "It's not much, I'm afraid," Julian said as he unlocked the door.

Caitlin stepped inside. The apartment was perfectly clean, but that was probably partly due to the lack of items. "Where is everything?" she asked.

"I have a suitcase in the bedroom. I suppose I could display it out here, but what do you think?"

"I think you need more furniture," she said. "You haven't gotten any other stuff yet?"

He hung his jacket on a hook. "I purchased bed sheets and other essentials, but everything else is in London. There's no one to send it for me, and I don't plan on going back anytime soon." He held his hand out for her coat, and she slipped it off quickly.

"Do you like your place in London?" she asked.

"It's a bit of a nicer flat than this, being honest, but I don't typically spend much time there. Besides, this city is much better than London."

"London can't be that bad," Caitlin reasoned.

Julian smiled. "You sound as if you want to go there."

"I almost did," she admitted. She saw the change in his expression as he realized what she was saying, and maybe involuntarily stepped closer.

"When?"

"The night I called you. Before the others found out about Amunet, I was going to run away. I even bought a plane ticket."

"Any particular reason you wanted to go to London?" he asked softly, a trace of hope in his voice.

"Oh I don't know," she said with a faint, teasing smile. "Big city. Lots of attractions. The accents are incredible."

They were right in front of each other, and he half-smiled at her as they drew closer together. "Any other reasons?"

She bit her lip for a second. "You know, I can't think of one right now, but maybe if you ask again tomorrow -."

He interrupted her with a kiss, and she more than happily let the conversation drop as they sank down onto the small sofa, holding onto each other.

Caitlin backed away after a few seconds, listening.

"Is something the matter?" Julian asked.

She looked around, confused for a second, and then shook her head. "Just thought I heard something." She leaned forward again, about to press her lips to his, and then jumped as a loud bang sounded. She and Julian jumped up as the door was forced open, Julian protectively putting a hand out in front of her.

"Well isn't this a sight," Amunet said, stepping into the apartment. She took something from behind her back and threw it inside, so it landed right next to Caitlin and Julian.

Caitlin tried to pull Julian back, but the tossed object made a clicking sound almost immediately, and a gas started issuing from it with a steady hiss.

"Call Barry," Caitlin told Julian.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Just do it!" she demanded. He backed away, hastily pulling out his phone. Caitlin felt the first effects of the gas as he left, her vision worsening as her focus slipped, and knew she had to act fast if she wanted to get out of this.

"No phones, please!" Amunet said, and Caitlin saw a piece of metal fly by as she steeled herself to make the change into Frost. Julian made an exclamation of shock and pain behind her, which helped her focus again.

She willed her fear to the front of her mind and felt herself start retreating, Frost starting to take her place. It was a transition she normally didn't think about, because as she became Frost, Caitlin's awareness dimmed while Frost's grew. But in this instant, both Caitlin and Frost's awareness were dimming, the gas seeping into her cells and dragging her down towards unconsciousness. Frost couldn't surface enough to transform all the way; Caitlin couldn't stay awake enough to consciously reverse the partial change. There was nothing restricting her power: she was simply caught between two states, too affected by the drug to think coherently. She saw the room through two sets of eyes for a few seconds, her minimal thoughts muddled and clashing and sleepy all at once, her hands both freezing and warm.

She gasped at the rush of contradictory sensations and thoughts straining her brain, and, taking in more air, became aware of herself again, allowing Caitlin to reclaim control and restore order in her mind. The extra intake of oxygen cleared her head, ending the awful double consciousness.

It also delivered more of the sedative to her lungs, and the moment of clarity was quickly overshadowed by an overwhelming fatigue. She slumped to the floor, temporarily losing sight of Amunet.

She could feel her hold on consciousness slipping, her senses fading. She could barely keep her eyes open to see Amunet in front of her, though she was desperately trying to. She was holding herself up with one shaking arm, doing her best to glare at the woman. "I told you I wanted to pay you back for that night, Caity," Amunet's voice said, sounding very far away. Amunet seemed to come closer, and the next words were spoken right against Caitlin's ear: "and I always get what I want."

Caitlin's eyes slid closed as she fell the rest of the way to the floor, Amunet's satisfied laugh the last sound she heard before unconsciousness claimed her.

 **A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay in updating, but this chapter was a little longer than the others, so that might make up for the wait. I was going to ignore Ralph in this story (I just didn't know how to work him in), but this situation let me use him. The promised "I'll ruin something for you" has finally arrived. I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know what you thought of it, and get ready for more to come!**


	7. Chapter 7

Julian could see her in the doorway, her back to them as she spoke to someone. Amunet was definitely a formidable character, and he flexed his hand where it had been hit. He'd just hit the call button when Amunet destroyed his phone. Which meant that it might not have even gone through to Barry's phone. It was possible, and likely, that no one knew they were in trouble.

He cursed himself for hesitating. He'd wanted to stay next to Caitlin, to try to protect her, but if he'd gone to call for help immediately, the others might at least know to start looking for them.

He didn't know how long it had been since he'd passed out. The only thing he knew for certain was that they were in an unknown place, and there were people working with Amunet. He'd seen some of them walk by. Amunet herself had been in that doorway since he woke up, keeping her back to them. He looked over at Caitlin again, wishing he were closer to her.

She was still passed out, lying near the wall. She didn't seem hurt, but he knew something had happened before they were captured. He glanced up at Amunet again. She still seemed locked in conversation with someone, but she was bound to turn around soon, so he decided to risk it, and whispered, "Caitlin!"

She didn't stir, so he started trying to move closer to her again. His hands were tied behind his back, around a support beam more towards the center of the room. He knew it was futile, but he kept moving his wrists about in an effort to loosen the rope. He raised his voice slightly as he called her name again, but she still showed no sign of movement.

She didn't hear him, but Amunet must have, because she turned from the doorway and smiled when she saw that he was awake, starting to walk into the room.

"I had a feeling you might wake up first," she said. She crouched down next to Caitlin and looked at her. Julian glared at the villain, though she gave him no notice as she inspected Caitlin. "Do you think she's alright? It seemed like she shorted out for a minute back there."

So something had happened, and Amunet had seen it. Fear rose in him. "What do you want with her?" Julian demanded.

Amunet turned to look at him. "I need to teach her a lesson, and you're going to help me." She touched Caitlin's arm. "Oh Caity, wakey wakey!" She said in a sing-song voice. She frowned and stood when Caitlin didn't respond. "Maybe a bit more time, then? You don't mind waiting a few more minutes, do you?"

Julian had his gaze locked on Caitlin in concern. He heard Amunet laugh at his refusal to respond. "Yes she'll have to be awake for this. I can't have her miss that soppy expression pointed at her."

"You will be caught," Julian said, flicking his eyes up to her. "It's only a matter of time."

"Isn't it always?" Amunet said dryly. She started moving closer to him. "I do just love how you heroes always say the same thing. _You'll be caught, you won't get away with this_ , blah blah blah. I've heard the lines so many times, and here I am, yet again," she raised her eyebrows, "getting exactly what I want."

"You want her to work for you again," Julian said boldly, "but she never will."

Amunet reached his side, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "We'll have to see about that, won't we?" she put a hand to her mouth in mock regret. "Sorry, I will. You'll be dead."

He swallowed hard, trying to force his own fear down and come up with some sort of plan. As scared as he was for his own life, he was still more concerned about Caitlin at the moment. He hoped she woke up soon. He needed to know if she was okay.

* * *

There was a familiar weight around her wrists, and Caitlin noticed the power dampening cuffs first as she woke up. Then the dull throbbing in her head caught her attention, and she winced. Some of the headache was probably from the sleeping gas, but she thought most of it was from that moment she'd been caught between Snow and Frost. That had never happened before. Not like that. She knew it had only happened because of the gas ruining her transformation, but it was still terrifying to think about that double consciousness happening again. She shoved that to the back of her mind as she opened her eyes. She had to deal with Amunet.

She took a second to look around before sitting up, and spotted Amunet and Julian in the middle of the room. Julian saw her move, and the look of relief on his face was clear as he lightly smiled at her. Amunet turned at his change of expression and also smiled, although hers was more satisfied than relieved.

"Well good morning, Caity," Amunet said in that cheery tone. "I was just beginning to worry. How's the head?"

"Fine," Caitlin said.

Amunet tsked as she walked closer. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. But let's catch up, shall we? What did happen back there?"

"You kidnapped us," Caitlin said, keeping her expression even. "After you went through a lot of trouble to leave me messages."

"So you did notice!" Amunet exclaimed happily, clapping her hands. "I so hoped you would get the one from the scene. Of course I knew you'd see the one in your apartment, but the impact is so much more powerful when you're already on edge, don't you agree?" she smiled. "Of course you do. Did Chilly see the message as well?"

She studied Caitlin's expression carefully, and a victorious gleam entered her eyes as her open mouth formed a smile. "She did."

Caitlin hated that she had been read so easily. "Why did you bring Julian here?" she asked, feigning innocence. "You wanted me."

"I do want you. Unfortunately, your little rebellious phase means you need to be punished." She gestured at Julian. "He's important to you. And don't try denying it," she added at Caitlin's determined look. "I didn't realize how much until yesterday, when he stayed the night with you."

"You were watching her?" Julian asked.

Amunet actually turned to face him. "You can't really be surprised at that?" She looked at Caitlin. "You expected it, didn't you?"

"It crossed my mind," Caitlin said.

"See, that's why I miss having you around! You get it!" She shook her head at Julian. "You don't. Yes, I was watching, hoping for something just like this. I was beginning to think I'd have to look into your work life to find something to use against you, dear, and do you know how boring that would be? No, it's much better that you brought this one to your apartment. And when you went with him after setting that little trap for me? I almost let you have the night together, but I just couldn't wait any longer."

Caitlin had been trying to undo the cuffs while Amunet spoke, but stopped now, staring Amunet down. She was definitely afraid, but her anger was almost overpowering her fear at the moment. She knew Amunet was only explaining things to get a reaction out of her. She wanted to torment Caitlin before actually taking her revenge.

If she didn't have the cuffs on, Caitlin was positive Frost would be in charge. She wished there was a way to get around them, but she tried to transform and couldn't. At least, she stopped trying after a few seconds, because that dull ache in her head spiked. She closed her eyes against it, and when she opened them Amunet was right next to her.

"You really did a number on yourself, didn't you?" she asked. Caitlin thought there was actual concern in her voice. "We'll have to get it sorted out after. Which reminds me: we should get started."

"Amunet, wait -." Caitlin called.

Amunet walked over to Julian and cut the rope binding him to the support beam with a wickedly sharp piece of metal. He moved as if to race over to Caitlin, but Amunet grabbed him by the collar, holding the sharp metal to his cheek. It scraped him, but not enough to make him actively bleed.

"Imagine if I'd put this to your neck," she chastised him. "It might have killed you early." She pushed him forward, walking him closer to Caitlin, and pulled him to a stop a few feet away. "This should be fine."

Julian met Caitlin's eyes. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't you dare apologize," Caitlin said.

"Any other last words?" Amunet asked. She shoved Julian down to his knees, and a shock went through Caitlin. There was nothing she could do to save him.

Julian shook his head slightly. "Don't take the blame on this. I know you, Caitlin. None of this is on you." She could see that he was scared, but he was still trying to reassure her.

The ache in her head was spiking again, slowly increasing in pressure as she looked at Amunet. "You aren't actually going to do this," she said, trying to be convincing. "You know you'll never see me again if you hurt him."

Amunet looked at her. "You think so? I'm a very persuasive person. And I think I've been more than generous just now, giving you a chance to say goodbye." She reached her hand out, and a bucket of metal scraps slid over to her.

"Amunet, please don't do this!" Caitlin cried, straining forward and abandoning all attempts at pretense. Amunet stopped for a second. Caitlin knew the talking had reached its end, and Amunet would really kill him unless she convinced her not to. Maybe if she went back to working with her, Julian would be set free. That would be worth it. That had to be what Amunet wanted to happen. "Leave him out of this," she begged. "I'll come back to you, but you have to let him go."

"That's right, Caity. Beg for him. It won't make a difference. You need to be taught a lesson."

"Caitlin, don't worry about me!" Julian said.

Amunet flicked her hand, summoning metal shards to her fingertips. She brought the sharpened point of her index finger to Julian's neck, nicking him there. Scarlet beads immediately stood out on his skin, one running down to his collar. Caitlin's head burned with pressure. "First blood," Amunet said, inspecting the scarlet drops on the piece of metal. "We'll need much more than that." She glanced at Caitlin with a trace of fake regret, though Caitlin saw the eagerness behind it. "This could have been avoided."

She raised her hand and started slashing it down, and something inside Caitlin snapped. She screamed as the pressure built, inside her head and around her wrists, where the cuffs were. It was all pain and fear and hatred, and she wasn't aware of anything for a second as what should have been impossible happened, and her powers exploded. The room became coated in ice, shards flying everywhere and a thick mist covering everything. The pressure abruptly faded, as if it had been spent, and took with it the ache in her head that had been there since waking up. The cuffs fell off her wrists with a dry crackle, and she ran to where Amunet and Julian had been standing automatically.

Through the fog she could see Julian was still on his knees. That meant he was alive. She zeroed in on Amunet and stopped, her rage overwhelming her. Her awareness dimmed for a few seconds, and then Frost stalked forward, her hand curled with the ice waiting to be used against the woman.

"I guess your cuffs don't work as well as you think," Frost said.

Amunet's features twisted with rage. "We can do this just as easily without them, Chilly."

Frost whipped her hand up, closing freezing fingers around Amunet's throat. The skin on Amunet's throat started irritating immediately, turning pink and then starting to tint blue.

Amunet brutally thrust her hand up to Frost's forearm, and a horrible crack split the quiet. White-hot pain shot up all the way to Frost's shoulder, almost making her pass out at first. She managed to stay standing. With great effort she ignored that arm, letting it fall painfully to her side as she used the other hand to send a column of ice at Amunet. Amunet barreled backwards, stopping a few feet away. Frost knew she only had a few seconds before Amunet was back up, but she needed them to recover herself. Her breathing was ragged as she tried to push down the agony in her arm.

"Caitlin!" Julian cried.

"Get out of here," she said, keeping her eyes on Amunet as the villain stood. She fought down a wave of nausea as she moved her arm experimentally. She couldn't fight effectively like this, with only one hand. Especially when she jumped and rolled to the side to avoid a mass of metal. When her forearm touched the ground, she actually lost her sight for a second, it hurt so much. Once she sprang back to her feet she placed her left hand over her right arm, summoning a blast of cold. If she could just numb it, she could deal with it after Amunet had been beaten. It seemed to provide a little relief, though she doubted it would last long.

"Look out!" Julian yelled from across the room. Unfortunately, she couldn't completely dodge it in time as she finished numbing her arm, and the shard grazed her shoulder. She held her hands at the ready and faced Amunet with complete hatred.

"I'm still going to kill him," Amunet said, furious. She covered her fist in a metal glove. "Though now I might have to kill you too."

She lunged forward, fist pulled back to strike. Her blow collided with the shield Frost made, which cracked but held together. Frost pushed back with the shield, trying to keep Amunet's attention from the ground as a thin trail of ice started climbing Amunet's legs. She needed a few seconds to solidify it enough to be stable…

The ice shield cracked, making Frost stumble. She sent an extra burst at the ground, securing the ice around Amunet. In the second Amunet took to look down and realize she was stuck Frost was right next to her, landing a solid punch to her face.

Amunet used her metal to break through the ice trapping her to the floor, but while she did Frost sent a wave of cold at her, hitting center mass and sending her to the ground. Frost stalked forward and grabbed Amunet by the collar, letting the hand that held her start to freeze Amunet.

As crystal started spreading on Amunet's body from that hand, Frost coated her other fist in ice and drew it back.

She could see a flash of shock in Amunet's face, and before the meta could react she struck her. "Déjà vu?" Frost asked shortly as she punched her again, and a third time, keeping her in place with the hand gripping her collar. Amunet's torso had a film of ice over it now, starting to reach her arms and legs. Her eyes were half-closed. "You did this to me once. How does it feel on this side?"

She punched once more, this time releasing her hold on Amunet and letting her fall to the ground with the impact. As soon as Frost stopped the flow of her powers she cried out. Her arm wasn't numb anymore. The furthest thing from it, it flared every time she moved.

She stared down at Amunet, who was still moving. "You won't hurt him," Frost said. She met Amunet's eyes as the meta strained to rise. "You won't hurt anyone."

"Caitlin, no!" Julian yelled.

The focused frozen mist hit her forehead, and Amunet fell back.

Julian reached Frost's side, looking anxiously between her and Amunet. "Is she -?"

"She's not dead." Frost glanced sideways at him. "Though we would be better off if she were."

"Hey!"

Frost whirled at the masculine shout to see people rushing into the room and stepped towards them without hesitating. She pulled her hands back and thrust them forward, sending a vast amount of ice in their direction that instantly formed a wall blocking their progress. Their voices muffled to almost nothing.

"Well that was effective," Julian said.

Frost looked at it to see how it would hold, and then dropped suddenly to her knees, her left hand reaching for her right arm instinctively. Julian was kneeling next to her in an instant, bracing her up with steady hands and looking at her with fear in his eyes. Except in this case, the fear was _for_ her, not _because of_ her.

"Caitlin, tell me what's wrong," he urged.

Frost actually came close to smiling at him. Almost. "Used too much energy," she said offhandedly.

"And your arm?"

So he was observant after all. "Broken."

He looked around quickly. "I need to find a phone. Will you be alright for a minute?"

She stood, against his protesting look. "You can't defend yourself. I'm going with you." she started walking towards the doorway that was free of ice, taking the few seconds she was ahead of him to breathe a little more carefully and try to wake up. She shouldn't be so exhausted. She'd done this much and more in fights, hadn't she? Yet she could barely feel her feet as they hit the floor. Even her broken arm, which she knew hurt like hell, seemed a bit less sharp now that the immediate danger was gone and her adrenaline was leaving her in waves. She needed to keep up the front until Flash got here, that was all. Then she could rest.

They found a phone in the next room, in the pocket of a security guard returning from a walking inspection. He wasn't hard to convince to talk, once Frost asked nicely. Once he told them where they were she knocked him out and then reached for his phone. Thoughtlessly, she used her right hand.

Julian noticed her wince and picked up the phone himself. Frost looked at the doorway as Julian called the Flash, alert for any more guards. "Caitlin," Julian said gently, a minute later. She didn't respond, and started when he touched her left arm. She turned her head to look at him. "Caitlin, you can relax."

She wanted to ignore him and hold on a little longer, until they were definitely safe, but her body had other ideas. She stumbled backwards as she started retreating into the back of her mind, her awareness dimming as Caitlin's grew. Apparently she was out of energy. Oh well, Frost thought sleepily. At least she'd finally gotten to beat Amunet.

Caitlin gasped in shock and pain as she came back to herself, leaning heavily against Julian in a small room.

"Hey, it's okay, I've got you," Julian soothed hurriedly, correctly interpreting her sudden panic. She moved to face him, desperate for answers. He let her move, but kept one hand on her left arm.

"What happened?" she asked. "Where's Amunet?"

"It's all done," he said. "We're just -."

"Caitlin!" Barry's voice yelled. "Julian!"

Julian opened his mouth as if to call back, but Barry was there before he had a chance to, looking at them carefully. His gaze rested on Caitlin for a few seconds before he zoomed into another room, and then appeared next to them again.

"I'm gonna run Amunet to lockup," Barry said.

"Caitlin needs medical attention."

Caitlin looked between them. Her brain was telling her to say she was fine, but she was exhausted and confused and still a little scared because she didn't know what had happened, so she stayed silent. Barry said he would be right back and rushed off, and Caitlin looked in the direction he had gone, wondering what the scene looked like. Frost had come out, that much was clear. "How did you get the cuffs off me?" she asked.

When Julian didn't answer Caitlin looked at him. "It had to be you," she said.

There was minor alarm in his expression as he said "Caitlin, you destroyed the cuffs yourself."

"That's not possible," she insisted.

"You don't remember anything about the fight? Not even right before?"

"Not really," she said. "But that's normal when Frost takes over."

"You used your powers as Caitlin," Julian said. "Brown hair, brown eyes. You only became Frost once you were free."

She stared over his shoulder, straining to remember. The last definite thing she could recall was Amunet taunting her, raising her hand to kill Julian, and then – there was something after that, very hazy, and she focused on it. She knew her head had felt like it would explode, and thought she remembered her hands feeling really cold… She'd been angry.

Her mind was too tired to figure it out at the moment, and she leaned against Julian, closing her eyes. His hand touched between her shoulder blades soothingly as he loosely held her, careful to avoid her right arm. "It doesn't matter right now," he said softly. "The important thing is you're alright."

She clung to him as they waited for Barry to come back, wanting nothing more than to leave all this pain and confusion behind her and fall asleep holding onto him.

 **A/N: There's chapter seven! I hope you enjoyed the fight. Don't worry, there's still a few things to explain next chapter.**

 **I really like Amunet's character, and hope Caitlin gets to face her again in the show. I was excited to write this chapter because of their interactions.**

 **But tell me what you think (of the chapter, the characters... up to you!). I love hearing from you. Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here's the final chapter! I hope you've enjoyed this story. There's a little more Snowbert here. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**

Julian helped adjust Caitlin in Barry's arms once the speedster came back. She was semi-conscious. "I'll be right back for you," Barry told him. "Cisco's breaching in for the others now."

Julian nodded and Barry sped away, back to the lab.

Barry returned much faster this time, and Julian was preparing to do an X-ray in minutes. Barry and Iris were close by, near Caitlin. Iris put a bandage over the nick on her shoulder. "Definitely broken." Julian said, looking at the picture of her arm.

"She heals quickly, though, right? Like Barry?" Iris questioned.

"Yes, but the bone needs to be realigned before it can heal properly. Which means I have to set it." Julian glanced at Caitlin, who was looking at him with tired eyes. "This is going to hurt," he warned. She nodded her understanding. Then he set it with a precise, forceful jerk. He tried to ignore the flash of pain in her expression, and the little sound that escaped before she bit down on her lip to restrain it. "There," he said, placing her arm back on the bed as gently as he could.

Caitlin tried to smile at him, though it was strained. "Much better," she said.

"You should get some rest," Barry said. "You'll feel better after."

"I might just do that," she said, and closed her eyes. They were silent for a few minutes, and once Julian was sure she was asleep he walked into the cortex with Barry and Iris.

"What happened?" Barry asked.

Julian summarized their capture and the confrontation with Amunet. He looked over his shoulder. "She fought with her arm like that almost the entire time."

"She'll be okay," Iris said confidently. "Amunet's in lockup for the time being, and Cisco and Ralph are putting all the others in Iron Heights. Caitlin won't have to worry about her again."

"She shouldn't have had to fight her alone," Barry said, looking at the far wall. "I could have helped her if I'd -."

"You had no way of knowing they were in danger," Iris said.

Barry nodded, though his sense of guilt was clear on his face. Julian felt incredibly small, knowing that he had been there throughout the fight, yet done nothing. He knew that logically it was better he had stayed back. Amunet had wanted him dead, and he couldn't fight. Trying to would have meant forcing Caitlin to protect him and attack Amunet. He knew he couldn't have done anything. But that helpless feeling he'd had as he'd watched Caitlin and Amunet, thinking that this was all happening because of him, returned to him now, seeing Barry's reaction.

He turned to go back to Caitlin's side, but stopped when Barry said his name. "I'm glad you were with her," he said.

"I didn't do anything to help her," Julian said, trying to negate the appreciation.

"You made sure she was safe," Barry said, his tone brokering no disagreement. "And you know Caitlin will agree with me."

He swallowed and nodded his head once before walking out of the cortex. Barry's words actually helped make him feel better. He sat down next to her bed and placed his hand over hers. Now he just needed Caitlin to wake up healed. He wasn't worried about her physically. Yes, her arm had been in bad shape, but it would heal quickly. He was more concerned with her mental health. Even Amunet had seemed worried about it, in her own way. He still wasn't sure what had happened right when they were captured, but it had certainly affected her. She'd seemed mostly herself right after the fight. The main reason for his worry was how absolutely exhausted she'd seemed, so much so that she was a bit out of it.

Unfortunately, he couldn't stop worrying about that until she woke up, and she clearly needed some rest, which meant it might be a little while.

He held her hand a bit tighter.

* * *

"Hey."

Julian started from his thoughts a few hours later at the soft voice and turned to face her. She was smiling at him, her eyes bright again, and relief energized his pulse.

"I was so worried about you," Julian said, leaning forward.

"I know," she said. "I'm sorry about that."

"Why on earth are you apologizing to me?"

"I just couldn't think straight after the fight." She scooted herself so she was sitting up. "I still don't understand what happened back there, but now at least I feel fine."

"We'll figure it out together. You're positive you're alright?"

She nodded. "I feel perfectly normal. Well, mostly," she said, gesturing with her head to her arm. "I could go Frost for a minute, to really speed heal."

An idea struck him. "I have a question for her, actually. Are you up for it?"

The corners of her mouth twitched up for a second, and she closed her eyes. He watched as her hair became a complete, snowy white, her complexion paling, and met the light blue eyes when they opened.

She seemed to take an extra second to assess her situation, but he understood immediately when she held her arm up and smiled, twisting it and making a fist. It was completely healed.

She let her arm drop and looked at him. "Didn't expect to see you so soon."

"I need to ask you something," he started. She raised her eyebrows, waiting, so he kept going. "Just before you started to fight Amunet, Caitlin had power dampening cuffs on. Do you remember getting out of them?"

A flicker of confusion. "No."

His thoughts raced. "What about when Amunet was capturing us? Do you remember any of that?"

He saw the confusion deepen in her expression before she masked it. "Why do you need to know this? Amunet won't bother us again."

"No, she won't," Julian agreed. "But Caitlin wants to know what happened, and I think you do too. So answer honestly: do you remember any part of it?"

He knew she hated feeling vulnerable, but she also knew he could help her find an answer, so she spoke after a few seconds. "We were caught in the transition," she said. "I was just really waking up when the gas started affecting me, dragging me back down. But it dragged her down too, so for a few seconds we were lost, neither one really in control." She bit the inside of her lip, looking at the wall. "It wasn't fun." She looked back at him. "That's all I've got, lover boy."

The information swirled around in his head. "Thank you," he said earnestly.

She studied him. "You're not so bad after all," she said. He didn't know if she meant him to hear it or not, but he thought maybe Frost was warming up to him. She sighed, and he watched her appearance change again, witnessing the blue fade into the brown in her eyes. For a microsecond he could discern both colors, and a theory came to him.

The first thing Caitlin did was search his face. "Did she know something?" she asked.

"Caitlin, when Amunet captured us, you tried to turn into Frost, right?" he asked. "You started to change but couldn't because of the gas?"

She nodded. "I couldn't stop it for a few seconds, so I was somewhere in the change." He saw understanding flash behind her eyes. "You think I didn't completely change back, before I passed out."

He nodded.

"I thought I was normal, because the disorientation ended before I lost consciousness, but even that's a little fuzzy, so I think this makes sense." Her eyebrows pressed closer together. "But how did I get out of the cuffs?"

"Amunet knows your powers very well," Julian said. "She probably had cuffs ready the whole time you worked for her, in case she needed them. She might have made them target Frost's powers specifically, through Frost's DNA. But if your DNA didn't match exactly -."

"They couldn't work fully." Caitlin leaned closer to him, her excitement for science clear. "My DNA's changed before, when I first became Killer Frost. It has to alter as I change, just enough to uncover the meta human gene so I can use my powers."

"Your DNA must have shifted just enough to work around the cuffs, since it wasn't completely meta or completely human. Those cuffs were designed for your specific case, so being between states meant they couldn't fully restrain your powers. Amunet probably put the cuffs on you immediately to keep you from becoming fully Frost when you woke up, so you were locked in that state, mostly Caitlin, but with some of Frost's power just under the surface." He pointed at her head. "That might explain the pain you were in."

"And why it's not a clear memory," she said, one hand absently touching her temple. "I know most of what happened, but the closer it gets to when the cuffs came off, the fuzzier it gets."

"Your brain was realizing it was between normal states, and trying to stabilize. Once the cuffs were destroyed you could change like normal, and Frost took over completely. The successful transition corrected the botched one." He shook his head in awe. "Caitlin, this is incredible! You're incredible!" He felt heat color his cheeks and looked away for a second.

He saw her expression soften from the corner of his eye. "I need to thank you, Julian. If you hadn't been here through all this… I don't know what I would have done."

"You would have gotten through it," he told her. He didn't doubt for a second it was true. Not until he really looked at her again, to see her shaking her head, suddenly seeming a bit afraid and vulnerable.

"I couldn't have done this alone," she asserted firmly, her tone completely open. The fear vanished, though the vulnerability remained. Warm brown eyes locked with his, earnest in their sincerity as she lowered her voice and said softly: "I need you."

The confession rang in his ears, sending all other thoughts away in an instant as he looked at her. He heard the stutter in his breath, and with difficulty snapped himself out of his stupor enough to reply: "I need you too."

The vulnerability faded swiftly, replaced with a radiant smile that Julian felt himself return to her. "Brilliant," he said in an undertone, almost giddily, and she exhaled a laugh at his reaction.

"You're up!"

Julian turned at Cisco's voice, still smiling. The breacher stopped at the foot of the bed and looked between Caitlin and Julian. "I interrupted something, didn't I?" he asked without asking.

"No," Caitlin said warmly. A tinge of pink entered her cheeks. "We were done."

Cisco sat on the edge of her bed, looking at her carefully. "How are you?"

"Completely recovered. I went Frost for a minute," she explained at his raised eyebrow.

"Glad to hear it," Barry said, leaning in the doorway. Iris stood next to him, looking relieved. "That you're recovered, not that you went Frost."

"What time is it anyway?" Caitlin asked.

Julian actually had no idea, and looked at the others. "Dude, I just know it's morning," Cisco said, raising his hands.

They were quiet for a few seconds. "Wanna get some breakfast?" Barry suggested.

"Did I hear something about breakfast?" Ralph's head appeared behind Barry startlingly fast.

"If Caitlin's up to it," Barry said.

"I'd like breakfast," Harry said, peeking in from the other door. "You do too, don't you Snow?"

Caitlin smiled at Harry. "Of course."

"Alright everyone, five minutes and we're leaving!" Cisco directed, standing. "And make sure you have your wallets!"

Julian chuckled and felt for his. He did have it on him.

"I don't have mine," Caitlin said as she hopped out of the bed. "It's in your apartment."

"I'll cover you," Julian said.

She slipped her hand into his, looking at him warmly as they went to follow the others.

"I know you will."


End file.
